Root Maker: Tree Cultivation

Year 11, Day 88

Beneath Green Canopy

The moment the name Ghun Gloomrose was spoken, he felt his own soul scream. It was a sound of bloodthirsty revenge, like a raging river, he wanted to flood and drown the man that was part of the family that completely destroyed and wrecked his life, killing every single one of his friends! He wanted to just dash forward and rip that guy to shreds just because he was a fucking Gloomrose kid, but he held himself back as he watched the whole “trial” that happened… He and all the Rottenwoods- or should he call them the Novuswood, now? -watched as the guy started to speak shit and got fucked over by the big tree spirit that owned this land. He literally broke the guy's skull open in half, letting the top half of it open and intact as his bones and flesh were broken and bent to form a flower of flesh, bones, veins, muscle tissue, and even internal organs the size of a human. 

It was brutal and gruesome, and yet, very beautiful.

‘This…’ His eyes widened under the deep demonstration of power from this being- He was a Death Qi, Dark Qi, Yin Qi, Poison Qi, and Demonic Qi Cultivator, he was sensible to those types of Qis. The moment the tree extended his enormous Nature Qi over the guy, he felt an overwhelming destroying sensation that flowed through the air into the boy, Ghun Gloomrose's body. It overwhelmed his spiritual senses when the Nature Qi changed into Death Qi and Blood Qi so naturally, so seamlessly, so smoothly, and beautifully that it was amazing to watch- All the Novuswood also had the same reaction he had to this transformation, mainly it being awe and shock. As the tree being spoke, all the leaves seemed to vibrate, until his mass of green moved the newly made flower of blood and gore to the gorgeous jade beauty that had been speaking this entire time- “For you, my beautiful daughter.” -she was his daughter!? 

‘...that explains so much, actually.’ So this was why he was feeling the purest, strongest presence of Death Qi that he has ever felt in his entire 45 years of existence and being in the presence of many deaths… He has even passed by the Kollanl Region, a famous “region” for having a very powerful amount of Death Qi due the region being a literal graveyard full of bones and the dead… The white “sand” of the region is not actually sand, but rather very fine powdered bones that make kilometers and kilometers of a sea of white bone dust. ‘No wonder she is so beautiful, a woman like that would never be a mortal woman… Looking around, all his “kids” clearly are not mortal, but I knew that already… Just didn't know she also was.’ Don't blame him, he was kinda distracted by her beauty, okay? He has been distracted ever since he came into this forest- It was like entering one of those mythical realms spoken in legends about the powerful cultivators that would cut through the heavens and defy its rules. 

“Now-” He was now sure that he wasn't the only one who heard that voice, that voice that sounded like the shattering of bones, like the ripping of flesh and skin, like the clicking of teeth and the wails of souls. The presence of this ancient being seemed to almost increase in weight, he felt like he was drowning for a small moment, like all his air was gone. “-tell me, children, do you still wish to interrupt the sentence you receive? Do you wish to receive the same treatment your little friend here received? Should I enact my mercy upon you all?” There was fear in the eyes of the cultivators that broke the rules, these merchants were too greedy for his likeness… He never truly trusted anyone after what the Gloomrose Family did to him, he probably never will trust anyone the way he naively trusted others before. Immediately after asking those questions, all the surviving merchants started to shake their heads in fear. “Very good, very good… Now, all of you that haven't become a beautiful gift for my beautiful daughter, shall be punished… A price for your crimes, how about all your knowledge?” Tendrils of green Nature Qi shot out from behind the restrained. The Earth Qi Cultivator Triplets- Oh Zhi Enkian, Oh Zhen Enkian, and Oh Zhu Enkian for those who don't remember their names -had their skulls penetrated by this thin thread of Nature Qi before another thread sank into the back of Phozu's head. 

It was weird to watch these blobs move down the threads, throbbing and growing in thickness as the four merchants started screaming bloody murder. It chilled him to the bone, but he also watched as all the Novuswoods seemed to smile…? He felt creeped out, but soon a flood of knowledge seemed to enter his mind, and it was then that he felt a thin thread of Nature Qi sinking into his mind… And he understood. The reason this was happening was rather simple, and although he now did understand why the Novuswood were all smiling. What the Green Father of the Forest was doing was to take the knowledge of where the forest was from the minds of these merchants, preventing them from ever finding this forest again. 

To him, it was a necessary evil.

To the others, the Novuswoods, it was a blessing. Like a guarantee of peace and serenity, a blessing of relief for them, like a weight had been taken off of their shoulder- I mean, they have just found a new home and suddenly the people that brought them here are now a possible threat to their new home? It was very intimidating for them, and the fact that their new Patriarch had taken steps to prevent their home from being taken from them while also at the same time preserving the lives of the assailants and not taking their lives? Well, that was something very hard to do. ‘And somehow, not as foolish as I believe.’ His first reaction at the thought of leaving them alive was ‘What kind of idiocy is this?’ but soon he easily understood that no matter what, they couldn't truly regain the knowledge that was taken from them. 

He also received a small memory- Two souls in an endless white being pulled together, turning into one. 

Alongside such images, there were also a few words from the big tree man: “I see you're also plagued by such soul problems… Let me help you, child.” 

…what?

Veloah Region, Golden City of Prosperity

Rushing from above the clouds, we see an endless horizon of yellow sand, with varying cracks of rocks that rose up to meet the heavens in defying acts against gravity, creating these truly enormous mountains. Although not as many mountain ranges as the Raohna Region, the Golden City of Prosperity was built in the center of a circular mountain range that surrounded the entire city. The rocky mountains are almost like these jagging rocks that fold slightly inwards, making these enormous claw-like constructions. The mountain range that surrounds Golden City, is, in fact, completely golden in color.

Although not completely made of gold or gold adjacent minerals, there was a glimmer of Gold Qi every now and then on the rocks of this place, reflecting the sunlight in bright shades of golds, oranges, and yellows. We see this magnificent green tree in the center of the city, completely green with beautiful leaves- although there's not many plants in the entire city that you can see the green dots, there are these large buildings with glass roofs that reveal rows and rows of green lines that extend for a few kilometers from the beginning of the building to the end of it, and with various of these buildings having 7 or more floors each, it is not very hard to discern that this is the building which the riches of the Golden City and the riches of the Golden Greed Guild of Merchants comes from- Food, resources, and stability. 

The roots of the enormous tree is connected to each and every single one of these buildings, the walls have these bright green bean-like flowers that open and release small amounts of green Nature Qi in soft blowing winds that move down the entire room, not as to fill the plants with vitality but as to allow them to keep their natural vitality and not wither unnaturally quick. Within these halls that extend for miles, mortals walk around them with these baskets with grains, vegetables, and even some fruits. These are the mortals that work for the Golden Greed Guild of Merchants, they are given a portion of the harvest as their pay, and the rest of the harvest is then given to the Lady of the Gold Hand, the leader and literal owner of the Golden City of Prosperity. Golden wheat fields grow with great beauty out of these various 10 feet long planter boxes spread all around in lines, from the entrance of the room to the end of the room, rows upon rows upon rows of various plants being bathed in this soft green wind of Nature Qi that kept them from withering thanks to the Drought of Death that plagues this world. 

High above, on top of the tree and overlooking all the buildings with all the plants within that grew all the food that the entirety of the Golden City of Prosperity used. This tree surrounded these buildings and easily overlooked them all… Standing above a flat platform and looking down, a tall formless silhouette of a shadow moves across the floor. The enormous flat planned window reflects a bit of the light of the sun but it easily illuminates the entire “apartment”, casting shadows across the furniture and bathing some parts of the home of the Lady of the Golden Hand. “My lady.” A voice whispers to the tall silhouette of a woman. He long golden hair drips down her back until it hits her ankles, her beautiful golden red dress shines with the light of the sun, making her look like a goddess made out of pure crystals: “We received news from the Great Council of the Golden Ones that the Great Artifact of Blooming Lotus Fields has been more demanding. The past Boundless Bountiful hasn't given enough Nature Qi to the Great Artifact of Blooming Lotus Fields, so we might need to do the Ritual of Bloodletting to recharge the Great Artifact.” The servant feels a soft golden hand touch his shoulder, making him lift his head to look up at the face of the woman above him. 

“Mr. Fathel…” A voice was soft as cotton, smooth as silk, and as light as gold said: “Please do tell the Great Council of the Golden Ones to select the Spotted Horned Beasts, gather the Rogue Core Cultivators and pay them 5 golden coins for each and every single Demonic Beast that they manage to bring to us alive, and 1 gold coin for each Demonic Beast they manage to bring back dead.” Her golden hand clenches firmly as she looks at it, her golden eyes shining and reflecting the same golden sunlight that paled in comparison to her beauty. “Also, tell the Council of the Golden Ones that the Festival of the Golden Dawn is approaching, tell them all to prepare for the festivities…”

-Author-

Thank you: Dallas Meck, jean, Kaleb, underdog121, DarksoulS, Maxwell Joseph, Ether's Blessed One, Jared Tate, Sin of Sloth, Harrison Brown, Golden Mold, Yerock, Robbie, Jeremy, ry10970, Me Me, Gabriel, and Captain Dragnee for your support.

Depression sucks.